Armenia

Broadcast media

2 public TV networks operating alongside more than 40 privately owned TV stations that provide local to near nationwide coverage; major Russian broadcast stations are widely available; subscription cable TV services are available in most regions; Public Radio of Armenia is a national, state-run broadcast network that operates alongside about 20 privately owned radio stations; several major international broadcasters are available (2008)

Internet country code

.am

Internet hosts

194,142 (2012) country comparison to the world: 73

Internet users

208,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 138

Telephone system

general assessment: telecommunications investments have made major inroads in modernizing and upgrading the outdated telecommunications network inherited from the Soviet era; now 100% privately owned and undergoing modernization and expansion; mobile-cellular services monopoly terminated in late 2004 and a second provider began operations in mid-2005 domestic: reliable modern fixed-line and mobile-cellular services are available across Yerevan in major cities and towns; significant but ever-shrinking gaps remain in mobile-cellular coverage in rural areas international: country code - 374; Yerevan is connected to the Trans-Asia-Europe fiber-optic cable through Iran; additional international service is available by microwave radio relay and landline connections to the other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, through the Moscow international switch, and by satellite to the rest of the world; satellite earth stations - 3 (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

584,000 (2012) country comparison to the world: 92

Telephones - mobile cellular

3.223 million (2012) country comparison to the world: 128

Agriculture - products

fruit (especially grapes), vegetables; livestock

Budget

revenues: $2.338 billion expenditures: $2.492 billion (2012 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-1.6% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 73

Central bank discount rate

8% (11 January 2012) country comparison to the world: 35 7.25% (2 December 2008) note: this is the Refinancing Rate, the key monetary policy instrument of the Armenian National Bank

Commercial bank prime lending rate

17.23% (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 26 17.76% (31 December 2011 est.) note: average lending rate on loans up to one year

Current account balance

$-1.052 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 118 $-1.136 billion (2011 est.)

Debt - external

$7.633 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 106 $7.383 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.9 (2008) country comparison to the world: 110 44.4 (1996)

Economy - overview

After several years of double-digit economic growth, Armenia faced a severe economic recession with GDP declining more than 14% in 2009, despite large loans from multilateral institutions. Sharp declines in the construction sector and workers' remittances, particularly from Russia, led the downturn. The economy began to recover in 2010 with 2.1% growth, and picked up to 4.6% growth in 2011, before slowing to 3.8% in 2012. Under the old Soviet central planning system, Armenia developed a modern industrial sector, supplying machine tools, textiles, and other manufactured goods to sister republics, in exchange for raw materials and energy. Armenia has since switched to small-scale agriculture and away from the large agroindustrial complexes of the Soviet era. Since August 2011, Armenia experienced a sharp 15 percent currency depreciation and an increase in the unemployment rate. Armenia's geographic isolation, a narrow export base, and pervasive monopolies in important business sectors have made it particularly vulnerable to the sharp deterioration in the global economy and the economic downturn in Russia. Armenia has only two open trade borders - Iran and Georgia - because its borders with Azerbaijan and Turkey have been closed since 1991 and 1993, respectively, as a result of Armenia's ongoing conflict with Azerbaijan over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenia is particularly dependent on Russian commercial and governmental support and most key Armenian infrastructure is Russian-owned and/or managed, especially in the energy sector. The electricity distribution system was privatized in 2002 and bought by Russia's RAO-UES in 2005. Natural gas is primarily imported from Russia but construction of a pipeline to deliver natural gas from Iran to Armenia was completed in December 2008, and gas deliveries expanded after the April 2010 completion of the Yerevan Thermal Power Plant. Armenia's severe trade imbalance has been offset somewhat by international aid, remittances from Armenians working abroad, and foreign direct investment. Armenia joined the WTO in January 2003. The government made some improvements in tax and customs administration in recent years, but anti-corruption measures have been ineffective and the economic downturn has led to a sharp drop in tax revenue and forced the government to accept large loan packages from Russia, the IMF, and other international financial institutions. Amendments to tax legislation, including the introduction of the first ever "luxury tax" in 2011, aim to increase the ratio of budget revenues to GDP, which still remains at low levels. Armenia will need to pursue additional economic reforms and to strengthen the rule of law in order to regain economic growth and improve economic competitiveness and employment opportunities, especially given its economic isolation from two of its nearest neighbors, Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Exchange rates

drams (AMD) per US dollar - 401.76 (2012 est.) 372.5 (2011 est.) 373.66 (2010 est.) 363.28 (2009) 303.93 (2008)

Exports

$1.588 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 144 $1.456 billion (2011 est.)

Exports - commodities

pig iron, unwrought copper, nonferrous metals, diamonds, mineral products, foodstuffs, energy

Exports - partners

Russia 19.6%, Germany 10.7%, Bulgaria 9.1%, Belgium 8.9%, Iran 6.9%, US 6.1%, Canada 6%, Georgia 5.7%, Netherlands 5.6%, Switzerland 5% (2012)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.776 billion (2012 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$19.44 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 133 $18.14 billion (2011 est.) $17.32 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 88.5% government consumption: 13% investment in fixed capital: 23.7% investment in inventories: 0.1% exports of goods and services: 24.6% imports of goods and services: -49.8% (2012 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 20.5% industry: 37% services: 42.5% (2012 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,900 (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 149 $5,500 (2011 est.) $5,300 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

7.2% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 27 4.7% (2011 est.) 2.2% (2010 est.)

Gross national saving

13.2% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 113 16.1% of GDP (2011 est.) 18% of GDP (2010 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.7% highest 10%: 25.4% (2008)

Imports

$3.656 billion (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 139 $3.561 billion (2011 est.)

Imports - commodities

natural gas, petroleum, tobacco products, foodstuffs, diamonds

Imports - partners

Russia 24.8%, China 9.4%, Germany 6.2%, Iran 5.2%, Ukraine 5.1%, Turkey 5% (2012)

Industrial production growth rate

5.8% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 45

Industries

diamond-processing, metal-cutting machine tools, forging-pressing machines, electric motors, tires, knitted wear, hosiery, shoes, silk fabric, chemicals, trucks, instruments, microelectronics, jewelry manufacturing, software development, food processing, brandy, mining

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.6% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 74 7.6% (2011 est.)

Labor force

1.386 million (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 132

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 44.2% industry: 16.8% services: 39% (2008 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$43.52 million (31 December 2011) country comparison to the world: 117 $27.99 million (31 December 2010) $140.5 million (31 December 2009)

Population below poverty line

35.8% (2010 est.)

Public debt

41.4% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 86 42.2% of GDP (2011 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$1.799 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 124 $1.932 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of broad money

$3.555 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 138 $4.261 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$4.355 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 117 $3.548 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$1.352 billion (31 December 2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 141 $1.332 billion (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

23.9% of GDP (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 135

Unemployment rate

17.3% (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 153 18.4% (2011 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

11.74 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 152

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2012 est.) country comparison to the world: 149

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 102

Electricity - consumption

5.8 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 108

Electricity - exports

1.36 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Electricity - from fossil fuels

55.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 141

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

33.5% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 67

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

10.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 17

Electricity - from other renewable sources

0.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 104

Electricity - imports

246 million kWh (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 84

Electricity - installed generating capacity

3.472 million kW (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 85

Electricity - production

7.432 billion kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Natural gas - consumption

2.077 billion cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 78

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 57

Natural gas - imports

2.077 billion cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 48

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 98

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2013 es) country comparison to the world: 109

Refined petroleum products - consumption

45,300 bbl/day (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 103

Refined petroleum products - exports

31.78 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 123

Refined petroleum products - imports

46,550 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 72

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 150

Area

total: 29,743 sq km country comparison to the world: 143 land: 28,203 sq km water: 1,540 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Maryland

Climate

highland continental, hot summers, cold winters

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Debed River 400 m highest point: Aragats Lerrnagagat' 4,090 m

Environment - current issues

soil pollution from toxic chemicals such as DDT; the energy crisis of the 1990s led to deforestation when citizens scavenged for firewood; pollution of Hrazdan (Razdan) and Aras Rivers; the draining of Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan), a result of its use as a source for hydropower, threatens drinking water supplies; restart of Metsamor nuclear power plant in spite of its location in a seismically active zone

Environment - international agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 2.86 cu km/yr (40%/6%/54%) per capita: 929.7 cu m/yr (2010)

Geographic coordinates

40 00 N, 45 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked in the Lesser Caucasus Mountains; Sevana Lich (Lake Sevan) is the largest lake in this mountain range

Irrigated land

2,735 sq km (2006)

Land boundaries

total: 1,254 km border countries: Azerbaijan-proper 566 km, Azerbaijan-Naxcivan exclave 221 km, Georgia 164 km, Iran 35 km, Turkey 268 km

Land use

arable land: 14.47% permanent crops: 1.8% other: 83.74% (2011)

Location

Southwestern Asia, between Turkey (to the west) and Azerbaijan

Map references

Middle East

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

occasionally severe earthquakes; droughts

Natural resources

small deposits of gold, copper, molybdenum, zinc, bauxite

Terrain

Armenian Highland with mountains; little forest land; fast flowing rivers; good soil in Aras River valley

Total renewable water resources

7.77 cu km (2011)

Administrative divisions

11 provinces (marzer, singular - marz); Aragatsotn, Ararat, Armavir, Geghark'unik', Kotayk', Lorri, Shirak, Syunik', Tavush, Vayots' Dzor, Yerevan

Capital

name: Yerevan geographic coordinates: 40 10 N, 44 30 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

previous 1915, 1978; latest adopted 5 July 1995; amended 2005 (2013)

Country name

conventional long form: Republic of Armenia conventional short form: Armenia local long form: Hayastani Hanrapetut'yun local short form: Hayastan former: Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Armenian Republic

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission: Ambassador John HEFFERN (since 6 October 2011) embassy: 1 American Ave., Yerevan 0082 mailing address: American Embassy Yerevan, US Department of State, 7020 Yerevan Place, Washington, DC 20521-7020 telephone: [374](10) 464-700 FAX: [374](10) 464-742

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Tatoul MARKARIAN (since 26 May 2005) chancery: 2225 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 319-1976 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2982 consulate(s) general: Glendale (CA), Los Angeles

Executive branch

chief of state: President Serzh SARGSIAN (since 9 April 2008) head of government: Prime Minister Tigran SARGSIAN (since 9 April 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 18 February 2013 (next to be held February 2018); prime minister appointed by the president based on majority or plurality support in parliament; the prime minister and Council of Ministers must resign if the National Assembly refuses to accept their program election results: Serzh SARGSIAN reelected president; percent of vote - Serzh SARGSIAN 58.6%, Raffi HOVHANNISIAN 36.7%, Hrant BAGRATIAN 2.2%, other 2.5%

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of red (top), blue, and orange; the color red recalls the blood shed for liberty, blue the Armenian skies as well as hope, and orange the land and the courage of the workers who farm it

Government type

republic

Independence

21 September 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ADB, BSEC, CD, CE, CIS, CSTO, EAEC (observer), EAPC, EBRD, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Cassation (consists of the court chairman and organized into a criminal chamber and a civil and administrative chamber, each with a court chairman and 2 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 9 judges) judge selection and term of office: Court of Cassation judges nominated by the Judicial Council, a 9-member body of selected judges and legal scholars; judges appointed by the president; Constitutional Court judges - 4 appointed by the president, and 5 elected by National Assembly; judges of both courts can serve until retirement at age 65 subordinate courts: 2 Courts of Appeal (for civil cases and for criminal and military cases); district courts; Administrative Court

Legal system

civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral National Assembly (Parliament) or Azgayin Zhoghov (131 seats; members elected by popular vote, 90 members elected by party list and 41 by direct vote; to serve five-year terms) elections: last held on 6 May 2012 (next to be held in the spring of 2017) election results: percent of vote by party - RPA 44%, Prosperous Armenia 30.1%, ANC 7.1%, Heritage Party 5.8%, ARF (Dashnak) 5.7%, Rule of Law 5.5%, other 1.8%; seats by party - RPA 69, Prosperous Armenia 37, ANC 7, Heritage Party 5, ARF (Dashnak) 5, Rule of Law 6, independent 2

National anthem

name: "Mer Hayrenik""(Our Fatherland)

National holiday

Independence Day, 21 September (1991)

National symbol(s)

Mount Ararat; eagle; lion

Political parties and leaders

Armenian National Congress or ANC (bloc of independent and opposition parties) [Levon TER-PETROSSIAN] Armenian National Movement or ANM [Ararat ZURABIAN] Armenian Revolutionary Federation ("Dashnak" Party) or ARF [Hrant MARKARIAN] Heritage Party [Raffi HOVHANNISIAN] People's Party of Armenia [Stepan DEMIRCHIAN] Prosperous Armenia [Gagik TSARUKIAN] Republican Party of Armenia or RPA [Serzh SARGSIAN] Rule of Law Party (Orinats Yerkir) [Artur BAGHDASARIAN]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Aylentrank (Impeachment Alliance) [Nikol PASHINIAN] Yerkrapah Union [Manvel GRIGORIAN]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Armenia prides itself on being the first nation to formally adopt Christianity (early 4th century). Despite periods of autonomy, over the centuries Armenia came under the sway of various empires including the Roman, Byzantine, Arab, Persian, and Ottoman. During World War I in the western portion of Armenia, Ottoman Turkey instituted a policy of forced resettlement coupled with other harsh practices that resulted in at least 1 million Armenian deaths. The eastern area of Armenia was ceded by the Ottomans to Russia in 1828; this portion declared its independence in 1918, but was conquered by the Soviet Red Army in 1920. Armenian leaders remain preoccupied by the long conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a primarily Armenian-populated region, assigned to Soviet Azerbaijan in the 1920s by Moscow. Armenia and Azerbaijan began fighting over the area in 1988; the struggle escalated after both countries attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. By May 1994, when a cease-fire took hold, ethnic Armenian forces held not only Nagorno-Karabakh but also a significant portion of Azerbaijan proper. The economies of both sides have been hurt by their inability to make substantial progress toward a peaceful resolution. Turkey closed the common border with Armenia in 1993 in support of Azerbaijan in its conflict with Armenia over control of Nagorno-Karabakh and surrounding areas, further hampering Armenian economic growth. In 2009, senior Armenian leaders began pursuing rapprochement with Turkey, aiming to secure an opening of the border, but Turkey has not yet ratified the Protocols normalizing relations between the two countries.

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 805,847 females age 16-49: 854,296 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 644,372 females age 16-49: 717,272 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 23,470 female: 21,417 (2010 est.)

Military branches

Armenian Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Air Force and Air Defense; "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic": Nagorno-Karabakh Self-Defense Force (NKSDF) (2011)

Military expenditures

2.8% of GDP (2010) country comparison to the world: 46

Military service age and obligation

18-27 years of age for voluntary or compulsory military service; 2-year conscript service obligation; 17 year olds are eligible to become cadets at military higher education institutes, where they are classified as military personnel (2012)

Age structure

0-14 years: 17.3% (male 274,473/female 239,275) 15-24 years: 17.7% (male 270,206/female 255,325) 25-54 years: 46% (male 643,563/female 725,985) 55-64 years: 9.2% (male 106,531/female 167,486) 65 years and over: 9.8% (male 106,552/female 184,788) (2013 est.)

Birth rate

12.86 births/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 154

Child labor - children ages 5-14

total number: 19,596 percentage: 4 % note: data represents children ages 7-17 (2007 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

5.3% (2010) country comparison to the world: 85

Contraceptive prevalence rate

54.9% (2010)

Death rate

8.51 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 82

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 44.1 % youth dependency ratio: 29.2 % elderly dependency ratio: 14.9 % potential support ratio: 6.7 (2013)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99% of population rural: 97% of population total: 98% of population unimproved: urban: 1% of population rural: 3% of population total: 2% of population (2010 est.)

Education expenditures

3.2% of GDP (2010) country comparison to the world: 136

Ethnic groups

Armenian 97.9%, Yezidi (Kurd) 1.3%, Russian 0.5%, other 0.3% (2001 census)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 109

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 100 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 122

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

1,900 (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 136

Health expenditures

4.3% of GDP (2011) country comparison to the world: 156

Hospital bed density

4 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

total: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 100 male: 21.9 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)

Languages

Armenian (official) 97.7%, Yezidi 1%, Russian 0.9%, other 0.4% (2001 census)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.75 years country comparison to the world: 119 male: 70.1 years female: 77.8 years (2013 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.6% male: 99.7% female: 99.5% (2011 est.)

Major urban areas - population

YEREVAN (capital) 1.116 million (2011)

Maternal mortality rate

30 deaths/100,000 live births (2010) country comparison to the world: 124

Median age

total: 32.9 years male: 30.3 years female: 35.7 years (2013 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

24.1 note: Median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2010 est.)

Nationality

noun: Armenian(s) adjective: Armenian

Net migration rate

-2.93 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 176

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24% (2008) country comparison to the world: 68

Physicians density

2.85 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

Population

2,974,184 (July 2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 139

Population growth rate

0.14% (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 183

Religions

Armenian Apostolic 94.7%, other Christian 4%, Yezidi (monotheist with elements of nature worship) 1.3%

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 95% of population rural: 80% of population total: 90% of population unimproved: urban: 5% of population rural: 20% of population total: 10% of population (2010 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 12 years male: 12 years female: 13 years (2010)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.15 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.88 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.62 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.59 male(s)/female total population: 0.89 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.39 children born/woman (2013 est.) country comparison to the world: 206

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

total: 45.5% country comparison to the world: 9 male: 37.4% female: 54.7% (2008)

Urbanization

urban population: 64.1% of total population (2011) rate of urbanization: 0.34% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Disputes - international

the dispute over the break-away Nagorno-Karabakh region and the Armenian military occupation of surrounding lands in Azerbaijan remains the primary focus of regional instability; residents have evacuated the former Soviet-era small ethnic enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan; Turkish authorities have complained that blasting from quarries in Armenia might be damaging the medieval ruins of Ani, on the other side of the Arpacay valley; in 2009, Swiss mediators facilitated an accord reestablishing diplomatic ties between Armenia and Turkey, but neither side has ratified the agreement and the rapprochement effort has faltered; local border forces struggle to control the illegal transit of goods and people across the porous, undemarcated Armenian, Azerbaijani, and Georgian borders; ethnic Armenian groups in the Javakheti region of Georgia seek greater autonomy from the Georgian Government

Illicit drugs

illicit cultivation of small amount of cannabis for domestic consumption; minor transit point for illicit drugs - mostly opium and hashish - moving from Southwest Asia to Russia and to a lesser extent the rest of Europe

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 6,000 (Syria - ethnic Armenians) (2013) IDPs: 8,400 (conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh) (2009) stateless persons: 35 (2012)

Airports

11 (2013) country comparison to the world: 154

Airports - with paved runways

total: 10 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2013)

Pipelines

gas 2,233 km (2013)

Railways

total: 869 km country comparison to the world: 96 broad gauge: 869 km 1.520-m gauge (818 km electrified) note: some lines are out of service (2009)

Roadways

total: 7,705 km (2012) country comparison to the world: 143